I'm getting priced out of collecting 4 4

[badback83]

Like a lot of collectors, sometimes I have to sell a book to purchase another.  Yes, it is difficult to grow my collection this way.  But, I like to think of it as “selling the book for the greater good”.  Yes, I definitely like the book I currently have, but I would enjoy the book I’m trying to purchase more.  I figure if I can lock down 2 or 3 higher price books ($500-1k.  Yes, for me that’s considered higher price) a year that I really want, I consider it a win.

[comicjack]

4 hours ago, Alawson453 said:

Just be patient and persistent.  It's the thrill of the hunt that excites and motivates me.  There are still tons of heat books to be found.  You may need to develop new strategies in order to be successful, but that's a small sacrifice to make if you're able to breathe new life into your collecting.  Search in new places you'll be surprised what will turn up

Good logic

[Scrooge]

4 hours ago, october said:

Westerns

[oakman29]

I was getting tired of paying crazy money for books, so I started to collect something that I truly love horror comics and magazines.

Mostly Warren horror , and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not killing myself buying books for high prices , and having a blast with these great books.

[KirbyJack]

I had a great time putting together the Marvel westerns that had Kirby art.

Cheap in low grade, but still just enough of a challenge to stay interesting.

[1950's war comics]

War comics are still comparatively dirt cheap compared to most other genres............

[KirbyJack]

Oh, yeah!

EC war is as good as it gets!

[musicmeta]

I started focusing on smaller cheap sets like 1st series Moon Knight in CGC 9.8 ...I'm almost complete Yeah!  I also lowered my expectations..Used to be 9.x or bust but now I will "happily" settle for some key books in the 6.0-8.5 range if they look good. 
I know  you stated you can't relate to copper/modern but the pre-Unity Valiant comics are awesome to me and nearly all are pretty affordable in very high grade like 9.8.  They have very cool stories.  I loved reading those 1st series Valiant books especially X-O Manowar. 
 

[Alf Pogs]

Trade your rims.....

Now try to get a single OA page from any of your fave books.

When I see the current prices on books I have dumped or given away or passed on I just laugh. All in good fun.

[batman_fan]

10 hours ago, 1Cool said:

Mechanical Engineers stink.  Civil or nothin!

Electrical rock the engineering world, just saying 

[Artboy99]

3 hours ago, oakman29 said:

I was getting tired of paying crazy money for books, so I started to collect something that I truly love horror comics and magazines.

Mostly Warren horror , and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not killing myself buying books for high prices , and having a blast with these great books.

I did the same!  Vampirellas, Weird, Tomb of Terror and many other great magazines.

[Ken Aldred]

10 hours ago, oakman29 said:

I was getting tired of paying crazy money for books, so I started to collect something that I truly love horror comics and magazines.

Mostly Warren horror , and I couldn't be happier.

I'm not killing myself buying books for high prices , and having a blast with these great books.

I've had a look at the journal.  A very nice collection.  Congrats !

Edited May 10, 2018 by Ken Aldred

[Ken Aldred]

10 hours ago, KirbyJack said:

Oh, yeah!

EC war is as good as it gets!

They really are exceptional comics, both for story and art.

[walclark]

18 hours ago, october said:

I collect the same, and it's a serious struggle. It's not just that I can't afford some things now, it's also that I don't WANT to afford a lot of things. Books that were fun to buy at $200 are no longer desirable to me at $2000, even if I have the money.

I've compensated by looking harder for bargains, narrowing my focus, and taking a harder look at genres I formerly ignored.

You’ve summed up my position.  My buying has been seriously curtailed for the time being.  The almost exponential increases in many parts of the GA market have made me a watcher from the sidelines.

[marvelmaniac]

I have not bought a book in two years.

I only need early JIM (first 30 issues) and ST (first 40 issues) and being on a strict budget even low grade copies are out of my price range, very seldom do low grade (or any) copies come up for auction and the "Buy It Now" listings are "stupidly high".

Even the three westerns I need to complete the 10 cent runs (Kid Colt 12 and 24 and Rawhide Kid 15) are priced too high for my taste.

Spending $40, $50 or higher for a low grade book is no longer on my priority list, if I find one great, if not that is fine also.

[grayzr]

DC aint any better. The big golden age keys are next to impossible.

Forget Action 1 or Tec 27 those where always crazy both in scarcity and price, but even books like batman 1 or all star 8 in any grade are out of reach for most now.

Even big silver keys like showcase 4 (my unobtainable grail ) have now reached a point where I have actually considered giving up the dream at this point as restored is not an option for me.

I though I was nuts years ago paying multiples of guide for certain hard to find books but compared to today I was a cheapskate.

It blows my mind what people are willing to pay for certain common books and ultra low grades these days.

The real question for long time collectors right now is, will this continue for years to come? or is there a ceiling and if so where is it?

[Senormac]

On ‎5‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 7:33 AM, Westy Steve said:

Hey guys,

Just venting.  I like collecting keys, with the exception of accumulating a nice stock of worthless stuff that I like to read.  So traditionally, my acquisitions were either $1 or $2 books or nicer key items.  I've been doing this a long time, but (dope that I am), I sold off stuff every once in a while to fund other collecting genres.

I'm finding I can't afford to collect anymore...at least not the way I used to.   I used to collect silver age keys.  I enjoyed owning first appearances because it made me feel more connected to my favorite characters.  But now, those books are so insanely expensive that I had to shift my focus to bronze age keys, which is the era I grew up with.  That's been pretty satisfying. 

Now it's getting to the point where I feel I can't really afford bronze keys.  At least not the books that are important to me in grades that I don't find objectionable.  And I feel if I sell something, I can't afford to replace it later.  As an example, I put together a nice run of Giant Size X-men 1 to X-men 101.  The harder books are more like VF, and the rest in the low 9's.  Now that "short set" is worth over $4K.  WTH!!!   My God, man, I could buy a pretty cool vintage car for that kind of money.  Yet, I dare not sell them.

Today I'm a 50-something professional engineer, and I find I can't buy books as nice as the ones I was buying back in college.  Back then, I felt that I'd be able to buy better books once I got established in my career.  Ha!  Joke's on me!

So, I guess there is copper and modern, but...with no offense intended, with the exception of a couple noteworthy copper books, I just don't connect to that era very well.

I'm frustrated! 

Here's the thing...there isn't a hobby as cool as ours.  Our keys are so much more interesting than...say...a key from a coin collection which might be only distinguished by a different date.  Our keys are uniquely cool.  Trying to figure out what to do next.  Sacrifice grade expectations?

Steve

Just pick one book, like maybe Conan #1....   and try and get them all.  On the whole planet.  Every Conan #1 in existence.  All conditions.  

Just brainstorming ideas for you here 

[Ken Aldred]

23 minutes ago, Senormac said:

Just pick one book, like maybe Conan #1....   and try and get them all.  On the whole planet.  Every Conan #1 in existence.  All conditions.  

Just brainstorming ideas for you here 

Senor Cal

[Mr.Mcknowitall]

13 hours ago, batman_fan said:

Electrical rock the engineering world, just saying 

That comes as a bit of a shock. I guess you have to be well grounded in that Field. I would think the positives outweigh the negatives, though. It just depends on how a person is wired. 

[Jimbo749]

28 minutes ago, Mr.Mcknowitall said:

That comes as a bit of a shock. I guess you have to be well grounded in that Field. I would think the positives outweigh the negatives, though. It just depends on how a person is wired. 

Good stuff, ELI the ICE man